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Emergency Planning

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Since 1980, communities have counted on Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) when they needed us most. In fact, we are on the job well before an emergency occurs. Prevention and preparedness are key pillars of EMO's mandate. When the unthinkable happens, EMO is there to support community response and coordinate provincial activities as required.

While Ontario is a safe place to live and work, emergencies can happen anywhere and at anytime. Emergency management in Ontario consists of a system of mutually supportive partnerships coordinated by Emergency Management Ontario.

We all have a role to play in keeping the province safe. Individuals and families should be prepared to take care of themselves for at least 72 hours in the event of an emergency situation. At the government level, all municipalities and provincial ministries are required to have an emergency management program. The requirements for these programs are set out in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Emergency Management Ontario supports municipalities and ministries in implementing their programs by providing them with advice, assistance, guidelines, training, and other tools. Learn more about Ontario's emergency management legislation and regulation.

Most incidents that do occur are handled at the local level by well-trained emergency responders. In the event of a larger incident, the head of council may decide to declare an emergency and assemble local officials at the municipal Emergency Operations Centre. This approach ensures a coordinated and effective strategic response.

To support municipalities in times of emergency, the province maintains an extensive emergency management capacity that is coordinated through the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC). Staffed at all times, the PEOC constantly monitors evolving situations inside and outside of Ontario to ensure key decision makers and provincial resources are able to respond as quickly as possible if required.

Emergency Management Ontario and the PEOC are directly supported by provincial ministries who are each assigned the responsibility of developing an emergency management program for specific hazards. For example, the Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for floods and wildfire response, while the Ministry of the Environment is responsible for emergencies related to water quality. During an emergency, the PEOC ensures that the response to any event is coordinated in support of the lead ministry.

During large-scale emergencies, the Premier and Cabinet may declare a provincial emergency and make special emergency orders to protect public safety.

If the province requires specialized or large-scale assistance from the federal government, it will be requested through Emergency Management Ontario.

Together with our partners and stakeholders, we need you to join us in keeping Ontario safe. We need you to be proactive - prepare yourself, your family, your organization and your community. You can get started now by making your own plan. You can also get involved by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. We welcome your thoughts, feedback and suggestions.

The following Government links will provide additional information regarding your safety in the event of an emergency:

Public Safety Canada

Public Safety Canada helps Canadians and their communities protect themselves from emergencies and disasters related to all kinds of hazards - natural, human-induced and technological - through national leadership in the development and implementation of policies, plans and a range of programs.

The Emergency Management Act recognizes the roles that all stakeholders must play in Canada's emergency management system. It sets out the leadership role and responsibilities of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, including coordinating emergency management activities among government institutions and in cooperation with the provinces and other entities. Responsibilities of other federal ministers are also set out in the Act.

The federal government is dedicated to working collaboratively with provinces and territories to support communities when disasters strike. To this end, An Emergency Management Framework for Canada was revised and approved by Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers in 2011. The Framework establishes a common approach for a range of collaborative emergency management initiatives in support of safe and resilient communities.

The Department maintains a network of partnerships with other federal government institutions, provincial and territorial emergency management organizations, first responders and voluntary organizations, and other stakeholders and communities, supporting a whole-of-society approach to emergency management that leverages resources and capacities at all levels across the country. All Canadians also have a role in building resilient communities, helping to keep hazards from becoming disasters, and in recovering from disasters when they do happen "Be Prepared".

The Government Operations Centre, housed at Public Safety Canada, is a Government of Canada asset which, supports response coordination across the federal government in collaboration with provinces and territories and other key players concerning/related to emerging or occurring events of national significance.

The Department's regional offices are located in all provinces and in the North. They play an important role in building and maintaining partnerships for emergency management and in supporting our communities.

Public Safety Canada's approach to emergency management is based on work in four related areas. Learn more about what we are doing:

Preventing or reducing the impacts of disasters on our communities is a key focus for emergency management efforts today. Prevention and mitigation also help reduce the financial costs of disaster response and recovery. Public Safety Canada is working with provincial and territorial governments and stakeholders to promote disaster prevention and mitigation using a risk-based and all-hazards approach. In 2008, Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers endorsed a National Disaster Mitigation Strategy Emergency Preparedness.

Public Safety Canada works in collaboration with other federal departments and provincial and territorial governments to strengthen national emergency preparedness, through planning, support to training, the exercising and testing of emergency management arrangements and plans, and sharing lessons learned from events and exercises. These efforts, taken prior to an emergency, help support event response, contribute to reductions in the impacts of events and help identify opportunities for future prevention and mitigation efforts.

Emergencies are managed first at the local level - for example, by first responders such as medical professionals and hospitals, fire departments, the police and municipalities. Local authorities who need assistance request it from provincial or territorial governments. If an emergency escalates beyond their capabilities, the province or territory may seek assistance from the federal government. Public Safety Canada led the development of the National Emergency Response System (NERS) with provincial and territorial officials, which was approved by Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers in January 2011. The NERS enables coordinated efforts in responding to emergencies.

The Government Operations Centre (GOC) is the principal means by which the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness' leadership role in establishing an integrated

approach to emergency response is exercised. Housed at Public Safety Canada, the GOC, on behalf of the Government of Canada, supports response coordination of events affecting the national interest. It brings all partners into a common environment to harmonize and synchronize collective actions of those partners. The GOC operates 24/7 to provide watch, warning, analysis, planning, logistics support and coordination across the federal government and with its partners, including provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and international partners.

The Government of Canada supports the efforts of communities to recover from emergencies and their often tragic consequences. Public Safety Canada provides financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA), in the event of a large-scale natural disaster where response and recovery costs exceed what individual provinces and territories could reasonably be expected to bear on their own. The DFAA guidelines provide details on provincial and territorial disaster expenses that are eligible for federal cost-sharing.